Happy Goyische New Year!

This post from myjewishlearning.com discusses ways in which to make your secular New Year observance more Jewish. I've been thinking lately about how often we discuss the Jewish idea of separation; in fact, Rabbi H, our new(ish) rabbi, gave a Qabbalat Shabbat sermon this New Year's Eve about this exact topic. I'm trying to figure out the balance between separation and inclusion. As Reform Jews, we are encouraged to live in the world, while at the same time being sure to separate the holy from the mundane, Shabbat from the rest of the week, wheat from chaff...no, wait, wrong Bible.

I don't really make New Year's resolutions per se, but I do try to take an inventory and decide what to improve four times each year: January 1, mid-April (my birthday), early July (when C and I met) and, of course, the Days of Awe. That way, I don't feel like I have to wait a whole year and give up in the meantime.